After he was considered a real threat to the Royal family, Uncle Andrew, was driven by Prince William to Balmoral, in full sight of cameras. He was sitting in the front of the car while Kate took the seat in the back. They were on their way to Crathie Kir, the church frequented by the royal family when staying at Balmoral, where they spent the first family summer get-together since King Charles ascended to the throne.
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Andrew, Duke of York, was stripped in recent years of most of his titles and removed him from his royal duties over his friendship with late U.S. financier Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender, and a related sex assault allegation.
In February 2022, Andrew settled a lawsuit in the U.S., in which a woman accused him of sexually assaulting her when she was a teenager. He has not been charged with any criminal offense and has always denied any wrongdoing.
Andrew had reputedly been the late Queen Elizabeth's favorite son, but the scandal was too much for her. The prince has rarely been in public since his rapid fall from grace.
It now seems that despite efforts by Prince William to remove his uncle, the Royals have decided he should join the family holiday in Scotland where Queen Elizabeth had been every year. Judging by the stern faces captured by the press photos, no one was pleased at the reunion, but Andrew's acceptance back into the fold was undeniable.
The Daily Mail published headlines recently dedicated to the estranged prince but unlike previous reports that highlighted the accusations of rape leveled against him, and the embarrassment he caused to the family, this time, the paper reminded viewers that he had been the queen's favorite child. An effort perhaps to avoid referencing his past as a sexual deviant.
The Kingdom will mark a year since her death next month and it is still unclear who will attend the ceremony. It is likely that Magen Markel will not be invited and her husband Harry who will receive an invitation will probably choose to stay away. As for Andrew, the jury is still out on whether he will take part in the memorial ceremony.
Reuters contributed to this report